United we stand

Authors note: Shit! I've been so busy with life that I haven't updated this in a long time. So sorry, there is no excuse for my part. So here is chapter seven of United we Stand.

P.S A/N: TOO HOT IN THE MORNING! DAMN IT! DX

Fandom: MegaMan X series.

Characters/Pairings: Zero/X, OC's for plots sake.

Genre: Adventure/Romance with just a dash of humor.

Disclaimer: I do not own the awesome game! All rights belong to CAPCOM Co., Ltd., Akira Kitamura and Keiji Inafune. All I own is this steaming hot chow mein that I ordered.

Legend: When something like this; [] appears, that means it's a characters POV. For example; [X], [Zero] means it's a certain characters time to shine. (I'm trying out a new style, so let's see how it goes.)

Chp 7: Hanging on

[X]

7 hours after Zero and X were present when Elm awoke, I immediately contacted Lifesaver to check on her. The young reploid resisted at this, but after Zero talked to her saying that nothing bad will happen, she cooperated. Elm was currently the reploids definition of nude. The gun metal gray skeleton underneath the synthetic skin was probed and examined I/O wires were jacked into the correct ports on her body.

Once all the necessary data was collected Lifesaver left the girl to rest after drinking all of the E-tank's contents. Which was funny from her expression of sticking out her tongue after one sip. You'd think she had taken one before.

Getting her back to sleep was somewhat of a different story. Let's just say that it involved in a starring contest between her and Zero. She stared, Zero stared. It was long, quiet, not to mention funny, but in the end it got her sleeping again.

*~*†*~*

[Elm]

"How are you doing today my dear?" Dr. Cain asked me today. It was already noon time since my checkup earlier.

"I'm okay. But I feel sluggish. I did have an e-tank earlier." I scrunched my nose at that.

"That stuff tasted weird. Like applesauce and honey mixed together and left out in the sun too long."

The doctor laughed. Amused by my silly observation. '….Since when did I talk like this?'

"That is because those are meant to refuel and replenish reploids' lost energy." He said.

I shook my head. "If that thing were to be an energy drink, epic fail big time."

Dr. Cain shook his head in amusement before going back on the topic. "Now, about your anatomical condition," he began.

"Your overall condition is fine. Your parts are still superbly intact. But," Uh-oh. The 'but'. Two things can go with the whole 'but' thing. Either good or bad is the outcome. But it's always the bad that's the end result.

"But…?" I frowned in worry.

The expression on Dr. Cain's face made me wish I didn't ask.

*~*†*~*

[X]

I hummed a tune I heard yesterday as I made my way to visit the young reploid's room. I was carrying a different bouquet of flowers again. Lilies.

As I arrived the elevator, I was about to push the button to the floor I'll be going, but was surprised when the door suddenly slid open. I involuntarily stepped back.

"Dr. Cain." I blinked to see the doctor here in HQ.

"Ah, X. Came to visit?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, doctor. How is she, by the way?"

Dr. Cain sighed, adding more stressed years on his face. "She's fine. She'll pull through if she desires. Excuse me, X. I need to get to Sigma's office."

The old doctor nodded before he remotely navigated his wheelchair through the hall.

"Do you need help, doctor?" I asked, ready to assist.

"No, no. I'll be fine. Thank you for asking." Dr. Cain waved over his shoulder before disappearing down the hall.

I stood there for a minute or two, processing what Dr. Cain said. But I shook it off, deciding to go and visit Elm.

"Hello, Elm." I greeted when I entered her room and proceeded to changed out the withered daisy's and change the water from the vase before replacing it with the lilies and fresh water from the sink.

The bundle underneath the blanket shifted. "Hello…X."

I smiled at the timid reply. "Getting some rest I see."

I heard her hum. "Yeah. Doctor's orders, and all."

I let out a chuckle as I walked towards the bed. Reaching my hand out, I affectionately caressed her head from underneath the blanket.

"That's a good girl." I said with a smile but she didn't see it. Oh, well. I still smiled none the less.

"I'll leave you alone then. Zero and I will visit you again." Hopefully. Walking towards the door I paused for a second to turn off the lights and closed the windows by the switches near the door.

I turned to look at her. "Rest well, Elm." And then I left.

~*~*†*~*~

[Elm]

Once I heard the door firmly locked and shut, and X's footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, I let the water-coolant-whatever works loose. Dr. Cain's words still echoed in my head.

"Your core was significantly damaged from Dis' assault when he attacked your chest area. You were not wearing any armor, but that can be fixed. But I'm afraid we don't have the parts to fix your core. Don't be alarmed, it is still very much intact. It's just that the material surrounding it…I'm afraid I cannot repair it. With the parts you have…the only ones that have the same design as you are X and Zero."

There was no way in hell that I was going to let Zero or X contributing to this. I was going to die. Do androids die? I think they shut down. I think that was the appropriate term. I shut mu eyes and hissed like a hell cat with major PMS issues. I am so mad and sad and frustrated at the same time. Fuck you Dis. Damn you to hell a million times over!

I mewled as I made myself even smaller under the blanket. I'm scared. I want my mom and dad.

I stayed like that for who knows how long, crying my eyes out.

As I finally had the strength to sit up and pulled the blanket off I looked around the dark room.

"Lights on. Fifty percent." I voice activated as the systems turned the lights on.

I blinked several times and rubbed them. I saw the lilies on the lone single round table and chair set in the room. I knew that it was X that kept bringing me flowers to help me feel better. I didn't know he cared that much.

Okay, I'm stupid. X cares for everybody.

Looking at the flowers did cheer me a little. But the looming gloom cloud over me ruined it. I'm going to die someday, maybe sooner, and there was no changing that. I can't-no, I won't ask for Zero and X's parts once I go…offline.

I shivered. No, I couldn't. Not in a million years. They are too important to this world. To this reality.

Me? I just got caught in to this and got involved in the most unfortunate of ways.

Screw you, Dis! Up yours!

I sighed. "I'm no one important. I'll only get in the way."

I sat there laxly, staring at the beautiful white lilies.

….

….

….

….

"I have to leave."

~*~*†*~*~

[Zero]

Plasma shots echoed as they were fired repeatedly from the B class Hunters' weapons. But it was having little effect against the Maverick reploid with a sharks head (not ).

"Damn." I heard X curse as he dodged the Maverick's attacks.

"I want every available Hunter to immobilize him!" Sigma ordered.

"Yes, sir!" was our general reply as we fired more rounds of plasma on the enemy.

"Sting Chameleon, now!"

Sting Chameleon appeared suddenly above the Maverick where he was positioned as planned. From his position on the shipping crate, Sting Chameleon dropped a special net over the Maverick, high voltage charges ran through the enemy as the other hunters held him down scrambled to get out of the way.

Maw roared in pain as he writhed in his capture, thrashing about, trying to get away, knocking over some barrels in the process.

"He refuses to go down!' I said from my position.

Sigma made a split decision. "Every hunter open fire."

And that was what everyone of them did. Though we only fired several few rounds until Maw finally went down as his circuits burned out.

"Damage report. I also want the casualties we've received and the area." He ordered to the specific reploids of the group.

I saw X watching as I made my way to him. I placed my hand on his shoulder. He turned and gave me a small smile.

"Rough day we had, huh? Two Maverick out breaks in the last sixteen hours. It's insane." He sighed as he rubbed the gem on his helmet.

I nodded. "Yeah. Man, this is going to be a pain in the paperwork." I added. I hated paperwork. Whoever invented the thing was an idiot.'

X nodded, agreeing with me on the matter. "I know what you mean."

The two of us head towards the others when Sigma said that we were heading back to base since there were no more Maverick outbreaks for now. By some miracle the Commander didn't notice the collective sighs of us hunters.

Rest. Finally.

Arriving at HQ's garage, X and I got off our Chaser's then walked towards the elevator to take us to the main floor, then taking the last few stairs to reach the HQ's lobby.

"Hey, X. how about a quick E break before we hit the…" I shivered. "paperwork?"

X smiled as he nodded at the suggestion. "Sure, why not? I am a little low anyway after-"

"X! Zero!" a voice cut me off. We both turned to see Lifesaver running towards us.

Lifesaver stopped within arms length. He looked stricken.

"Lifesaver, what's wrong?" I asked him. From the corner of my eye I saw that X has this face. He was troubled, that much I see.

"It's… It's Elm. The young reploid. She's gone!" he said in a panicked tone.

I raised a hand. "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean gone?" I asked again. My ear ports must have been on the frits. Because Lifesaver said…

"It's what I said. Elm is gone. She was not in her room when I went to check on her."

"How?" X asked with a panicked tone. "How can she leave the room? The door can't be open from the inside."

Lifesaver rubbed his forehead. "The window. The window was open when I came in and saw the room empty."

"The room was ten floors up! How the heck can she move around like that? Is she an idiot?" I threw my arms up. Seriously? The window? Did she jump? …Holy crap what if she did?

"Zero!" X suddenly reprimanding me made me jump back.

"Both of you cut it out." Lifesaver snapped at us. I noticed that we were making a scene.

"It doesn't matter right now. We need to find Elm, she's not fully authorized to leave yet. Her core-"

"Wait, core?" X-if he could have-paled. "What do you mean?"

The mechanic gave him a look. "You mean Dr. Cain has not told you?"

I interrupted. "Told X what?"

Lifesaver shook his head as he looked defeated somewhat. "The little reploid sustained damage. Not enough to offline her-"

"O-Offline?"

"-but if the pressure in her core's cavity receive anymore damage like last time-"

"Hey! X, wait!" X ran off, he couldn't take the news anymore, and neither did I. so I followed him towards the garage as he hopped on his Ride Chaser.

"X, what are you doing?" I asked him as I grabbed his arm.

"I'm going to fine her!" he tugged from my hold, too bad I'm not letting him go that easily.

"But you don't know where she is. Or where to start." I grunted a bit as he was trying to really get away from me. "We barely even know the kid other than she's the same model as us. Why are you so worked up?"

He was shaking, either from anger or something else entirely I couldn't tell. I did have a point; we did barely know her beside her name, where she works, and origin. She's a blank slate, hardly getting worked up for. Just another civilian reploid in Abel city that had unfortunately gotten involved with a Maverick.

Right? Nothing for X and I to stick our nose to where it doesn't belong. She was here because Lifesaver and Dr. Cain want to monitor her because she came in contact with a Maverick, who, in time will become Maverick herself.

"I know." X's voice croaked as he spoke after a while. "I know that we have not really gotten to know her at all Zero. But,"

He turned to me with those shining eyes of his that really got my core running for it's money. And a watery smile on his face. That somewhat cherubic face of his. "But that won't stop me from caring."

I sighed. "X…" you and caring a lot. I swear…

He shook his head. "I'm going to find her, Zero. And when I do, we will start fresh. Become friends. Just like how we started."

I shook my head in defeat and let out a chuckle. "Yeah. We did, didn't we?" I sighed. "Fine. I'll help you look for her."

I jogged towards my Ride Chaser and got on. X beamed a brilliant smile at me that made my core thrum the more. Damn it, X. "Thank you, Zero!"

I nodded as I turned before paying attention into driving my Chaser out the HQ's garage

~*~*†*~*~

[Rozalin]

I cannot believe this! I seriously cannot believe it!

After weeks of worrying for Elm, no contact from Maverick Hunter's HQ's medical section, I went back to my mundane life. I was in the middle of having a lunch break when I finally got a call from X.

And wouldn't you know it? The first thing I received what was supposedly good news, and Elm was missing. Missing!

I practically blew a gasket when the information sunk in. and what's worse. She wasn't 'stable' yet in reploid terms. Why did that girl just up and left?

So here I was inside my limousine heading home from another session of my mother and I shopping designer clothes, I called the number of my own personal security. I should thank dad after this.

The line rang once before it was picked up. "Yes, Lady Rozalin?"

Usually I would be ticked with the formalities, but now was not the time. "Marshal Kenneth, I need you assistance."

"What can I do for you, milady?"

~*~*†*~*~

[Normal]

Nearly hours after they began their search, X and Zero had split up to cover more ground. In and out of the city, asking human civilians and reploids alike but came to a dead end every time. They continued their search still. Even the splitting up plan was the ideal idea, the two were starting to think that they wouldn't have enough ground to cover before the day was done.

It was becoming a loss cause.

~*~*†*~*~

[Zero]

I drove out of another area in the city looking for Elm. Again, no dice. No sign that the kid was there. X contacted me earlier on his end; nothing.

A clicking sound escaped my lips that showed my displeasure. This was really troublesome. The kid was troublesome. I mean sure, I don't hate the kid. Uh…maybe hate is too strong a word. More like dislike than anything. The girl has been interesting to say the least. Her big eyes that sees everything in a child-like curiosity was hiding something beneath. She knows more things than she lets on in an unconscious fact. She has defensive capabilities but that was it. It was limited. The proof of that was seen when Dis gave her the beating of her life.

I bristled at the memory as I drove towards the next area in the city.

The girl was by no means dumb or naïve. She can think for herself, it was shown in her actions. But she lacks something, I don't know what. She was a lost kid trying to get by, that much I saw.

Strange. The minute I laid eyes on her a sudden spur of something clicked in my systems. Protectiveness? I'm not sure. Was I fond of her? No, not yet anyway. Did I like her? I would say in a bearable level. Do I love her? Not in a romantic way, no. But…

I sighed. What is it? Something is there but I just don't know what it is!

I worry for the kid. I'm worried that she'll get into trouble again. I'm worried that she'll shut down in the middle of nowhere. I'm worried that she'll come across a rogue Mechanoloid.

….Oh shit.

What if she'll come across a Maverick?

"Shit, shit, shit!" cursing I pushed my Chaser into full throttle.

"You better not be in trouble, Elm."

~*~*†*~*~

[X]

"Elm. Elm, where are you?" she wasn't anywhere I could think of and the sun is already setting. We won't be able to find her in the dark and I refuse for her to be exposed to the lurking dangers of the night!

Oh Gods, look at me. I'm a worrying mess.

I maneuvered my Chaser down some narrow streets, keeping an eye out for a head of familiar violete hair.

Oh where, oh where did my little girl go?

….

Wait a second!

I came to screeching halt as I hit the brakes, nearly throwing me off my Chaser. A feeling of nervousness, embarrassment, and fear washed all over me. Why in the worlds did I just think that?

My little girl?

Are my circuits finally fried?

No, internal scans say that everything is normal.

So… "Why did I think that?" I said to no one as I cradled my head.

"Was it… Was it because…"

"Mommy. Daddy. I want…m-my mo-mmy and dad-daddy…!"

I blinked as that memory file came up of her tear stained eyes when she cried.

"Was it because of that time?"

I sat on my Chaser, thinking. About Elm.

What was she to me?

Certainly she wasn't by any means my own, goodness no. she was young, small, easily targeted for being a bargaining chip. She has this inept air about her that showed the complete opposite at the same time. Of course she was by no means skilled, just enough to survive. The young reploid has no qualifications to begin with. Though she showed a marginal of her self-defense but that was it. No combat skills.

She has a temporary occupation; working at Ivy's eatery. But it was only by limited time. And then what? Where will she go? Where will she stay? Tyler and his grandmother said that she does have a residence but they didn't know where. They didn't pry Elm for an answer.

I snapped back into reality when I suddenly received a transmission.

"X, this is me." Said a familiar voice from the other end.

I blinked. "Storm Eagle? What is it? What's wrong?"

A sigh of annoyance came from Storm's end. "I have someone here with me. The little lady stormed up at HQ looking for you. When you weren't here she grabbed the nearest to contact you; me."

Uh-oh. "Who is it, Storm?"

"I'm patching her through." Was all my fellow Hunter said before another familiar voice assaulted my ear ports.

"X, you sneaky Hunter! Where in the world are you? Did you find Elm, yet?"

I internally groaned. "Hello, Rozalin."

Aforementioned female replied back. "Don't you 'hello, Rozalin' me, mister! Any luck in finding Elm?"

"The tyke is missing? I heard Storm in the background.

"No, no luck yet." And I sighed because of it.

"Hmm, I see. Zero is out there looking for her too?" she inquired.

"Yes, he is. The two of us are looking for her."

"You idiot!" she screamed again. Ouch. "Why didn't you get more help?"

"The rest of the Hunters have been dispatched to different areas miles away from Abel city. I can't just call them back." Was my reply to her.

There was a few seconds of silence before an, "Oh. Well… Oops."

I nearly faulted to the steering of my Chaser as I gave a nervous chuckle. "Yes. But it's alright, Rozalin. We'll find her I'm sure. I said to myself than her.

"But the sun has already set. With just you and Zero there wouldn't be enough time and you'll have to search again in the morning."

"I know that." Was my immediate reply. "I know that. We will find her before it gets any darker."

I bowed my head. "We have to."

Rozalin was quiet on the other end for a minute or two before she spoke again. "Then I guess it was a good idea that did some searching myself."

I blinked at that. "Rozalin?"

She laughed through her nose. "I have my own personal security team looking for her as we speak. I've sent them out hours ago. They've still yet to find het, but this way get to find her much faster."

I felt soared when she finished. I was elated and my hope grew. "Thank you. Thank you, Rozalin."

"Hey, Elm's my friend. Besides saving my life-not to mention several others-it's the least I can do. In fact, I'll be joining with the search as well with a search party of my own. So good luck in your end. Thanks for the help Storm Falcon."

"It's Storm Eagle, not Falcon."

I chuckled as the last of the transmission ended. Rozalin is quite the character.

Sighing with a new found feeling I ignited my Chaser and rode out to continue my search.

"Just please be alright, Elm."

TBC

A/N: honestly I have nothing to say. Review and comment to tell me what you think even in my long absents.

See ya. Ciao.~